Page 64 of The Photograph

Can I come and see you?

Yeah, that’d be great. NYU Langone.

On my way.

When I put my phone down on the bed, Steve’s watching me.

“All resolved?” he says.

“My boyfriend, Alex.”

He grins. “Yeah, you bored us rigid last night with how in love with him you are.”

My face heats, and I lean my head back against the pillow and close my eyes. Steve pats my hand as he sinks into a chair by my bed. “No sweat, Dessy. It was cute.”

“I bet George didn’t think it was so cute.”

Steve waves his hand. “No, he didn’t, but that’s his problem. You deserve to find someone nice. You always wanted a steady relationship.”

“That’s why George isn’t here,” I say. Wow. Okay. I grimace. Whatever we are, I thought he was at least a friend. “What happened last night?”

Steve laughs. “I wondered when we were going to come on to that. You were wild, man.”

“Oh, God,” I say, running the hand that’s not hooked up to a machine down my face, and it makes him laugh even more.

“You put your hands down some guy’s pants.”

“Jesus.”

“You kissed so many guys, I lost count. Your top was off the minute you got in the place. Later on, I had to stop you from taking your jeans off.”

“Fuck, Steve. What the hell was in that tablet George gave me?”

“Some kind of upper,” he giggles. “What a night! I’ve never enjoyed an evening as much, even with the hospital visit.” He winks at me. “We’ll have to do it again.”

I snort loudly. I’ll never want to repeat that trip in the ambulance, that’s for sure.

“How did we get home from the club?”

He stares at the blue walls and the picture of the sea, which are probably meant to be calming for patients but in fact make me feel seasick, and purses his lips.

“I can’t recall a lot myself, to be honest.”

A flash of me falling on the sidewalk pops into my head.

“I fell.”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He nods. “That rings a bell. We were there until the club closed. I remember getting chucked out. I’ve also a vague memory of hailing a cab.” He laughs again. “We got to George’s apartment, and you walked straight into his bedroom and collapsed on the bed. He followed you. I knew that bed wasn’t big enough for the three of us, so I slept on the couch.”

“Oh God, I slept with George?”

“Well, I don’t know really. I don’t know what went on between the two of you.”

I cover my face with my hands. “What am I going to say to Alex?”

“Oh, that’s easy: Don’t tell him.” Steve flaps a hand at me as he slouches back in his chair. “There’s no need. You both were too out of it for anything to have happened, and sure as hell George and I won’t say anything. George won’t even remember. He was almost as bad as you and doing a lot of loud singing.”

You see this is the thing. This is where Steve and I differ. And maybe I should amend my earlier assessment of him being a straight die. He thinks some secrets are okay, whereas I don’t. Maybe you can hide a few minor issues, but you have to be honest about the big things. Sharing a bed with George is a big thing. Ugh. An affair with a cousin and a different surname are also pretty big things.

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